You’ll notice that I’m reviewing bird books. (Don’t worry, not all will be US based.) Please feel free to chime in with your suggestions and comments.

The ultimate bird book for North America has always been two books: both Peterson’s field guides, one for the East, one for the West. Now, the new Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America (Peterson Field Guide Series) combines the two. I do not own a copy, and therefore can not review it for you. (Note: I don’t normally review books that publishers are unwilling to send me, and Houghton Mifflin has not been a good partner lately.)

Anyway, even though I find myself not liking the publisher too much, the book is a standard and you need to have one.

Comments

Peterson is a classic. It is a cherished part of birding history and was a revolution in how birds were identified in the field. It is worth owning for that reason but for that reason only. As a field guide to actually be used by a birder to identify birds, it’s time has come and gone. If I had to recommend a field guide, it would be near the bottom of the list, especially when compared to Sibley.

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